You are looking to grow your social media following – what do you start from? Hashtags. But there are thousands of them and hundreds in every specific niche – so, how do you select the creme de la creme?
If you are into SEO practices and have an up-to-date SEO Reporting Tool at hand, you probably guess that SEO hashtags are the way to go here. This article offers some insights into the basic principles of how social media hashtags work and gives five practical tips for using SEO hashtags to grow your social media audience.
What Are Hashtags, And How Do They Work?
Simply put, a hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by a hashtag symbol (#). It is used on social media websites and applications, primarily Instagram, to identify messages on a specific topic. Hashtags systematize and categorize messages and make it easier for other users to find relevant content. They can also be used to express interest in a certain topic or to start a conversation.
To use a hashtag, type the hashtag symbol followed by the word or phrase you wish to tag. For example, if you tag a message about cats, you could use the hashtag #catsofInstagram (or another platform), #kitties, #catlover, and other resembling forms. Social media “inhabitants” can use hashtags anywhere in a message, but they are typically placed at the end. When another user clicks on a hashtag, that will take them to a page that displays all messages tagged with that hashtag.
Benefits Of Using Hashtags
Hashtags are the #1 way to connect with potential customers on Instagram or any other platform. Here are a few ways hashtags contribute to the growth of your profile:
- Using relevant hashtags, you can make your business account more visible to people searching for products or services like yours.
- Hashtags can help you to track the performance of your posts and gain insights into what content resonates with your audience.
- Find keywords of your competitors and analyze their hashtag efficiency to learn from their mistakes, form more informed strategies, and contrast your success with theirs.
- Using hashtags can help you to build relationships with other businesses and influencers in your industry.
- Hashtags can help you reach audiences of other segments by making your posts searchable.
5 Best Hashtag Strategy Tips To Increase Follower Engagement
So, hashtagging is one of the promptest ways to connect with new followers and to get your content seen by more people. But how can you make sure that you’re using hashtags effectively? Here are five great strategies for you to make the most of it.
Strategy # 1: Choose an optimal hashtag type
There are various hashtags that you can use, depending on your goals. Location hashtags are practical to indicate where you took a photo or to connect with other people in a specific area. Businesses create branded hashtags as a way to promote their products or services. Industry hashtags connect with other stakeholders in your field and share information.
Groups of people create community hashtags as a way to connect with others who share similar interests. Descriptive hashtags are used to capture the content of a post without using any words. No matter what type of hashtag you use, be sure to use them wisely and sparingly so that your content is easy to read and understand.
Strategy #2: Make your hashtags specific
By making your hashtags specific and relevant, you can reach people who are interested in what you have to say. For example, if you’re a travel blogger, you might use hashtags like #travelblogger or #wanderlust.
In contrast, broad, general hashtags such as #blog or #events may help you reach a wider audience, but they’re also much less likely to result in engagement. The key idea is, thus, to use hashtags in such a manner that they bring people who are interested in what you’re posting.
Strategy #3: Avoid using too many hashtags
If you’re using hashtags on social media, it’s important to balance using too many and too few. Using too many of those can make your post seem spammy, and you may even be banned from some platforms. On the other hand, not using enough hashtags means that your post may be lost in the shuffle and never seen by your target audience.
So what’s the best hashtag strategy? One optimal rule is to keep the number of hashtags no more than ten. That will help you avoid appearing vampirical and spammy while ensuring that your post is visible to those interested in seeing it.
Strategy #4: Don’t overly on trending hashtags
Relying too heavily on trending hashtags can damage your credibility. First, it shows that you’re not particularly knowledgeable about your hashtag. Second, it makes you look like you’re trying to jump on the bandwagon rather than offering genuine value.
The best hashtag strategy is to use trending hashtags sparingly and only when they genuinely add value to your content. This way, you’ll look credible and authentic, and people will be more likely to engage with your content.
Strategy #5: Use hashtag generator tools
If you need inspiration and ideas, hashtag generator tools are a great place to start. These tools can help you generate relevant and popular hashtags for your account. Later is one such tool that offers hashtag suggestions based on your account’s personalized hashtag usage.
Hashtagify is another great option that allows you to research hashtag trends and find popular ones to use. By using hashtag generator tools, you can ensure that you’re using the best hashtags for your account and maximizing your reach.
More Social Media SEO Strategies For Better Discoverability
As a bonus, here are a few social media SEO strategies if you’re looking for additional ways to get more eyes on your account:
- Strategy tip #1: One of the most important things you can do is to use relevant keywords in your bios and captions. That will help users searching for specific terms find your account more easily.
- Strategy tip #2: Be sure to include ALT text for your photos, as this can also help improve your visibility in search results.
- Strategy tip #3: Be consistent with your posting schedule and content topics, as this will help attract and retain followers over time.
By following these simple tips and the hashtag strategies described above, you can boost your business account’s search rankings and start getting more exposure for your brand.
Wrapping Up
So, what are your top 3 hashtag optimization strategies? Do you use branded hashtags? Or location-based hashtags? And what about trending hashtags? Keep in mind that the more narrowly-focused your hashtags are, the better. And don’t forget to use relevant keywords in your posts and descriptions to help people find your content. So, you may immediately see better results from your social media marketing efforts. We hope you found this article helpful!
